Truth Among Lies
by Aspenvanilla
Summary: Lady Lenore arrives at Camelot after the deaths of her entire family, or at least that's her story. Who could guess what the truth really is. . . With Arthur forced into a betrothal with her, everything seems to be going as planned, but with Merlin's involvement, things become a little more complicated. . .
1. Chapter 1

**This takes place in season 4, following the death of Morgouse in the first episode and before Uther's death in the third episode. **_**This is my first fanfic entry **__**ever**__**. Please comment. Any feedback is welcome, positive or negative. **_

Morgana paced about her hovel, turning a dagger between her fingers. Her eyes were swollen and red, gazing off into a distant place. How could this have happened? Morgouse's final sacrifice upon the Isle of the Blessed had come to nothing. Camelot still stood under its despot, Uther.

Uther.

Hate boiled in her stomach. She wasn't even able to end Arthur's life.

Arthur.

And what was sacrificed? Some knight? Merlin didn't even take his place.

_Merlin_.

With a cry of rage, Morgana whisked around and launched the dagger across the room. It buried itself with a thump into what sounded like a wall. She straightened herself up as if a crowd was watching her and smoothed down her rouge hairs that were all done up in knots and braids and wound around twigs. Then, she drew closer to where the dagger had disappeared to.

At first she couldn't find it, but its milky gleam drew her eye. How amusing, she thought. No wonder she hadn't seen it at first. She had expected it to be buried in the wall, but it wasn't. It was sticking straight through one of her thickest books that had not been put away, but left propped up. She took it by its hilt and picked up the dagger as well as the book it was skewering and inspected them.

A rap came at the door. Morgana froze.

"Who is it?"

'It's me," came Agravaine's voice.

«How many time have I told you, Agravaine-Come in!-How many times have I told you to annouce yourself!"

"My apologies, my Lady," he said, slipping through the door.

"I take it you have news?" She asked irritably, her green eyes burning into him.

He hesitated for a second and then found his words. "My Lady, I came to see how you were fairing. After losing Morgouse. . ." The look she shot him silenced him.

"I am perfectly capable on my own!" she spit. "You would presume yourself so high to think that I would need to come crying to you!"

"I presumed nothing," He said calmly, attempting to defuse her. "You may accept or reject my condolences as you wish."

She looked him over venomously and then, with a shrug, let it pass and mustered up her dignity. "So why have you really come. I know it wasn't just to console me-get this out for me." She tossed him the skewered book. He turned it in his hands questionably then gripped it and yanked it out. He set the book down on the table and stuck the knife into the wood, leaving it to sit vertically.

"Uther has maximized the security. There are double the guards now and they are _everywhere_."

"What is your definition of 'everywhere'?" she asked, suddenly very interested.

"Everywhere. And I mean that in the literal sense. There are far more guards on the streets now, walking about. Looking for anyone suspicious. The places that already had guards now have double the number. Even me, one of Uther's only advisers, is never alone with him anymore. He always has guards about him. And it's the same with Arthur. It's been like this ever since the Isle of the Blessed."

"Well, no wonder it took you so long to get word to me," said Morana.

"Indeed. I waited a very long time for my opportune moment to get out of Camelot without arousing suspicion." Then he drew a glass vial from his riding coat and handed it to her. "I'm sorry I failed you. I was in the guards' presence constantly. I never got the chance to lace Arthur's food with poison like you asked me to. I'm afraid I won't get the chance any time soon and carrying poison around in my pockets is just getting to be too risky."

"I see." She put the poison away.

Suddenly, there was a sharp creak in the low ceiling and everything that followed next happened very fast.

"_Sficksey!_" she hissed. The erected dagger shot up from across the room and into her hand. "_Rama hom!_" The entire hut shuddered and the ceiling bulged and broke open, issuing a cloud of dust and rubble. There was a surprised cry and a crash as someone fell through the hole and down onto the floor below.

Morgana was on the eavesdropper in a second and by the time the dust cleared, she had them locked in her grip with the dagger at their throat.

"What did you hear?" roared Morgana into her captive's ear. Then she shouted to a very shocked Agravaine, "Do you recognize her?"

"Ah, uh," he fumbled. The person that sat before them was a girl. She was tall and young-faced, but he suspected that she was full grown despite her youthful features. Particularly, her wide, silvery eyes and rosy cheeks. But those were not her most noticeable features. No, most noticeable was her shining, gold hair that glowed molten in the sun stream that now entered from the hole in the ceiling. "I don't know her. I've never seen her before."

"I've never seen her either. Now what did you hear? WHAT DID YOU HEAR?" Morgana pressed the dagger deeper into the girl's throat.

"W-wait," The girl squeaked desperately. "I'm not an enemy."

Morgana paused. "What's your name?"

"Sana. It's Sana."

"What do you mean you're not my enemy?" Morgana's grip loosened slightly. The dagger didn't press so hard anymore.

"It's a long story," Sana said.

"Then make it short."

Sana hesitated for a long moment, regaining her breath. She hadn't even noticed she had been holding it. "I heard a powerful witch lived in this area."

Morgana's lips curled at the word 'powerful'. "Go on."

"Are you her?"

"I am," she said with flourish.

"I don't know what's happening to me. I suppose something about me was always a bit off, but I never expected that it could be. . ._magic_."

"You came to trouble me because you, like so many others, have magic."

"I'm not. . .I'm not the same as them."

"Oh?"

"You see. . ." She said, lowering her voice. "I need help. I can't control it. It comes and goes like the tides. Sometimes it won't work at all and other times. . .it's so raw. It consumes me and I wake up surrounded by destruction. And I'll know that it was me, but I won't be able to remember. I've. . .killed people."

"I can feel your power," breathed Morgana. "It's. . ._intoxicating_. But that still doesn't explain why you were eavesdropping."

"I heard voices and got nervous."

"What did you hear?" Morgana asked again.

"Everything," Sana said boldly. "Every word."

There was a long pause. Morgana both plotted her next course of action and tried to make sense of the girl. Deep within her and in Agravaine too, who watched speechlessly, there was an inkling of respect for the girl's harebrained courage.

Morgana finally spoke. "Well, Agravaine. We have two options. Either we kill her or take her in."

Agravaine stared aghast at her. "Haven't you heard her? She could go off at any second. She could be our demise!"

"Please," pleaded the girl, still bold as she leaned forward, fearlessly pushing her own neck into Morgana's dagger. "I have nowhere to go. I ran away from home. I need to learn how to harness my magic, to have control over it. Please. Don't send me away. I'm. . .I'm all alone in the world"

"It would be such a waste to kill you," cooed Morgana as a calmness settled over her."So we only have one choice. Besides," she added. "You remind of someone. A late friend."

"I would _strongly_ advise against it, My Lady," huffed Agravaine. "Keeping her here. . ."

"But she won't be here."

Both Sana and Agravaine blinked in confusion. "She won't?"

"No." A twisted smile wrought Morgana's features. "I have an Idea."

Then she released Sana. The girl rubbed her throat and shakily stood up. Morgana rose too.

"Let's get you something to eat now. I would think you would be hungry wandering about the woods all day, eavesdropping on people's roofs."

Sana nodded with a shaky grin.

"Then come. I will explain myself."

Sana couldn't have begun to expect how terrifying and dangerous the plan would be.

"I can't-I don't think that-that I could do that," said Sana. She had only eaten a couple spoonfuls of stew, but she was already neglecting it.

"It's dangerous, yes, but think of what could be accomplished," said Morgana. "The plan is simple enough. Agravaine would introduce you as a Noble Lady of a family that was completely wiped out by an attack from the druids. Uther will instantly sympathize with you and ask you to stay. You will have your own coat of arms, fine clothing. It will all be legitimate. But leave those details to me. All I need you to do is be 'Lady Lenore'. Are you alright so far?"

"Yes, yes I suppose," Sana gave hesitantly.

"Agravaine will suggest a union of marriage between you and Prince Arthur. Uther will not say no to that. He will feel too sorry for you when he knows you have no family left and that you are all alone. You will get closer to Arthur and try to win his heart."

"What if I can't?"

"I doubt you will be able to. He loves a lowly serving girl. Gwenevere. But that doesn't matter, because _you_ will be the one marrying him. And on your wedding night the two of you will be alone. The guards will leave you _completely_ alone. And that's when you will take this dagger," she said, holding it up. ". . .and shove it through his heart."

Sana's eyes widened and she shook her head. "I couldn't. I couldn't do that."

"Sana, if you do this for me I will make you my personal apprentice. You will learn all about your magic, how to control it and use it. You could master your gifts. If you do this for me you will never have to be alone in the world again."

"What if I make a mistake?"

"Agravaine will be there to guide you and if you are found out then he will make sure that get you out somehow and you can run on back here."

"So many things could still go wrong. . ."

"Well, I won't deny that. But, Sana, I am the only person who can help you. I am your only friend. Do you really want to throw that away?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and let a single tear slide down her cheek. "I don't want to be alone anymore. . .I'll do it."

"Good," said Morgana, curling her lips. "But there is one other thing I should warn you about. Arthur has a manservant. Just an idiot, but he is always very close to Arthur and he is far more observant than he looks. He has made a nuisance of himself. Be wary of him."

"What's his name?"

"Merlin. Don't underestimate the lows that he will sink to." Morgana's suddenly disgusted expression made Sana wonder if Morgana had some past experience with him. She didn't ask.

"So when do we do this?"

"Soon. But first, finish your soup. You will need your strength."

**So yeah, there you go. Sorry I didn't get to Merlin and Arthur in this chapter. This is really more like a prologue than a chapter. Don't worry. It picks up with our two heroes in the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

I am giving a shout out to Jellyblobs because he/she is awesome. Thanks for giving me my first review. I really hope you like this chapter.

Okay, so before I start I'm going to list the knights because I always get them confused.

Sir Percival is the really big, stupid looking one. I don't know why, in my head, he's just kind of the dopy one so that's how he is going to be shown in my fics.

Sir Leon is the one with curly blonde hair which annoys me for some reason. He's not really a character in the show and I don't find him very interesting so he doesn't really have a personality here.

Sir Elyan is a little more interesting. He is Gwen's brother and he appears in the show two seasons before he becomes a regular.

Sir Gwaine-well, he's, you know, Gwaine. I think that's all I need to say.

Okay, sorry about that. Here we go.

Five horses burst through a wall of foliage and into a clearing. Arthur, who was on the leading horse, reined it in. The horse complied without hesitation. "We're making camp here for the night."

On the other four horses rode the four knights: Percival, Leon, Gwain, and Elyan. They reined their horses to a stop as well and dismounted.

"I think we need our supplies to camp," said Gwain, patting his horse's neck.

"Mer-where's Merlin? MERLIN!" Arthur bellowed down the narrow trail that they had just emerged from. "Has anyone seen Merlin?"

Leon was taking big gulps from his water pouch, looking very unhelpful and Percival was simply wearing a very befuddled expression. Elyan was the one to speak first. "Last time I looked back he was following right behind."

"When was the last time you looked back?"

"Midday."

Arthur groaned. If there was one person who could get lost while following directly behind a group of thundering horses-no, not even Merlin was that simple. . .was he?

"Did no one glance back? Gwain, you were riding right in front of him."

"I can't remember."

"Helpful," Arthur muttered to himself. "Well, he has all of our supplies. I should probably go look for him."

The knights started to mount their horses.

"No, just stay here. Start a fire. Percival, you have your flint with you, right? . . .good."

"Shouldn't we go with you?"

"No, get a fire going before it gets too dark. It'll be one less thing to do when we set up camp. I think I hear a river in that direction a ways."

"Alright," Gwaine said reluctantly.

Arthur mounted his horse with a set look upon his face and kneed the beast. It lurched forward and was swallowed up by the twilit woods.

At first he moved at a trotting pace, calling Merlin's name every once and a while as he retraced their way down the trail, noticing how much his and his knight's passing had effected it. The trail looked like it had been overstretched. Branches were snapped, the grass was trampled into the dust. A chill ran up his spine as he though how easy it would be for anyone to track them. He thought of all the people that would want to track them: desperate cutthroats, vengeful druids. . .Morgana. He kneed his horse to go faster.

What could have happened to Merlin, really? He was _right_ behind them. Nothing bad could have happened without him hearing it and even if he was too far ahead to hear, Gwaine was right in front of Merlin. Gwaine would have heard something if there was something to hear.

But, then again, there were things he didn't understand, magic for one. If it was a person with magic they could have done something, said some spell that deafened their ears to an attack. He didn't know anything about magic, but he assumed that there was some kind of spell that could do that.

That was mad, though. What would anyone want with Merlin? He was only a servant. There was only one enemy who knew the lengths that Arthur would go to for his servant, Merlin, only one person who would know that a captured Merlin would be a tool against him. Morgana.

"MERLIN!" Arthur bellowing again, louder than before, a note of desperation creeping into his voice. He couldn't help but notice how dark it was getting. "MERLIN!"

His horse lunged into a full gallop. He had lost track a while ago of how far he had gone. Each stretch of trail looked just like the one before it and the one that came after. There was no marker of the distance and only the sun's disappearance marked the time. Night fell swiftly, heavy and dark.

"MERLIN!"

A voice spoke out of the darkness, startling Arthur to all awareness. He flinched, suddenly regretting his thunderous gallop down the trail and his idiotic shouting. He wasn't usually so careless.

"Who goes?" He said, composing his voice and pulling his heaving horse to a standstill.

The voice came again but he still couldn't tell what it was saying or even what manner of person was saying it.

"Excuse me?"

A figure suddenly burst out of the foliage. "I said, I'm right here!" The horse reeled back in surprise, ready to make a run for it, but there was no need.

"Merlin!" Arthur nearly fell off his horse dismounting. He leaned forward to pull Merlin into a hug, but stopped at the last second and punched him in the shoulder instead. "Where the hell have you been? How can we go on a hunting trip without our supplies? We need them to set up camp."

"Ow," Merlin mumbled, rubbing his shoulder. But he didn't look too upset. The wide grin spread across his face told Arthur he was just as relieved to be found as Arthur was to find him.

"Where's all our stuff, Merlin?" Arthur asked, noting his manservant's dirty face and clothes.

"You don't want to know that."

Arthur hesitated for a second. It was a lost cause anyways and he was exhausted beyond belief. "Alright then-"

"At the bottom of a river," Merlin blurted out.

"What?" they both asked at the same time.

"What, Merlin, are our supplies doing at the bottom of a river?"

"Not much anymore."

"How did they get their?"

Merlin launched into his story. "Well, I was riding along behind Gwaine and one of the mats came loose, so I stopped to get it. I tried to catch up, but then everything else just started coming loose. So I shouted at Gwaine, but-you know Gwaine-he didn't hear. I stopped and unpacked everything so that I could repack it better, but then the horse just took off back that direction. So I tried to pick everything up myself, but I kept falling down. When I went down to a river to get water everything tumbled into the river."

"Really. Everything just tumbled into the river and you didn't bother trying to retrieve any of our supplies?"

Merlin scratched his head. "It crossed my mind, but I figured I couldn't carry it all the way anyways." He slurred into a laugh at the end.

"So you just let everything float down the river," Arthur said, looking very cross.

"Yep," he said cheerfully.

"Merlin, you are the worst servant that there has ever been."

The grin didn't leave Merlin's face. "So I don't suppose I could get a lift then?"

"I don't know. I'm thinking about making you walk."

"Oh, come on now. You wouldn't leave me in these dark, creepy woods. . .would you?"Arthur turned around and began pulling himself onto his horse. "Arthur?"

"Climb on. I wouldn't want you to get too scared of these big, spooky trees."

Merlin's grin renewed and he pulling himself into the saddle behind Arthur. "I'm not afraid of the trees. I'm just a bit cautious about what might be behind the trees. Of course, a city prat like yourself wouldn't understand woodland stealth."

Arthur's brow furrowed and he let out a laugh. "Woodland stealth! What? Like you know anything about _woodland stealth_. The last thing you are is _stealthy_."

Merlin frowned.

"Relax Merlin. I was just-"

"Shh," Merlin hushed, holding a finger to his lips.

"Don't hush me!"

"Shhhhhhhhhhh! Don't you hear that?"

Arthur fell silent, straining his ears. "It's perfectly quiet. I don't hear anything."

Suddenly, Merlin jumped off the horse, his shirttail getting caught a bit on the side pouch. There was a tearing sound, a cry of rending fabric, and a small bit of Merlin's rust-colored shirt was left skewered on the tip of a scissor-like implement that had come loose, coincidently, and stuck vertically out of Arthur's small, handy riding pack. He stumbled, careening into the darkness in a bolt of disturbing energy, caught himself, and broke into a headlong sprint.

"Merlin!" Arthur cried in surprise. "Merlin!"

He got no answer back.

"Damnit, Merlin! Yah! Forward!" he shouted, digging his heels into the horse. The horse only neighed at the dark woods stubbornly and refused to move. With a frustrated growl he noticed how close the trees were to each other. There was simply no way his horse could get through. He dismounted quickly and shot into the woods after Merlin, hoping that he was going the right way. It was too dark to tell. _I'm going to murder Merlin when I catch up to him_, he thought. But what Arthur didn't know was that if he didn't catch up in time, he wouldn't have to.

Merlin was crashing through the underbrush, following a sound he wasn't sure he was hearing. It was very distant, very low, but as he ran further and further into the woodland labyrinth he became sure. It sounded like a woman, like a woman screaming. And as he neared, he was able to pick out one word. 'Help'.

Tree branches broke upon him like waves. He had reached a very dense part of the forest, but he was not diverted. He didn't even notice the walls of foliage he crashed through, the cuts that he sustained on his face and arms from the tangled environment. It was a miracle he didn't trip over any roots. There was something new rushing in his blood; whether it stemmed from his magic or from some keen, deeply infused instinct, he couldn't be sure. Even in this state there was a small, quiet corner of his mind wondering how he had gotten there, why he was moving forward. His ears pounded and his chest ached with exertion. His own blood burnt his skin, boiling just under the surface. The scream came again much closer than before and it caused something to jump in his stomach, sending him even faster with a new level of energy.

It was so dark, there was no way he could have seen the break in the trees coming up ahead. He tore violently through the last of the vegetation and shot out into the open. He reeled from the shock and his legs buckled under him. His knees dove into the dirt.

It was a small meadow that Merlin had stumbled into, caused by a river that ran through it. It seemed that the dried gravel he now kneeled in would have been underwater at the beginning of the year, when all the snow was melting and the river was swollen past its normal bounds. Right now it was thin and shrunken to an unremarkable trickle. But Merlin didn't notice these details.

Right in front of him stood several, very rough-looking men who looked just as shocked as Merlin did. He was confused at first, but then his eyes fell upon the source of the screams. It was a girl, a very scared looking one at that. One of the men had a dirty hand clamped around her wrist while another has a fistful of her hair. She looked terrified, desperate, but even she had frozen in shock. The realization of what they were trying to do to her hit Merlin in a just a fraction of a second, but it seemed so much longer than that. The whole world seemed to lag as he jumped erratically to his feet and in his heightened senses, he became aware of many things all at once.

There were four men, he noticed now. The one closest to him, a big brute, drew a dagger that glinted in the moonlight and took a step forward. The one behind him, a short, stocky, grisly-haired man, bent down for a rock. The one that had a grip on the girl's hair was a man with a twisted form and popping eyes. And the one that had her arm in eagle-talon hands wore a crooked face with a disfiguring scar running through the middle. In that split moment, the two outlaws in front converged on Merlin while the two who were holding the girl shrank back.

Fear pierced his heart. The glint off the brute's dagger had triggered something deep within him. An instinct so ancient, so primal that all he could do was freeze. He could neither run nor fight. And his urge for survival was telling him to either do one or the other. It roared in his head, it tore at his resolve. He stood frozen, unsure of how to fight the rising panic in his chest. The moment ended all too quickly. The decision was made for him.

The girl gave a small jerk of resistance. It was only a hopeful, little jerk, but the outlaw was enjoying himself far too much. He yanked her head back violently with a rotten grin that was given as if to say, 'oh no you don't. . .'. There was a flicker of pain in her eyes followed with a surprisingly malevolent flash of anger. He rolled his head back to let out a bark of laughter and she took her chance.

The girl spun around, letting her hair twist into a knot in the outlaw's grip. She had only been shocked by the raven-haired boy's intrusion for a moment before she had realized this was the opportunity she needed. She wrenched her arm in, pulling the unprepared outlaw with her and then shoved him back with all the strength she had. His grip faltered for just a moment, but it was enough.

The scuffle drew the glances of the two outlaws in front. And as they turned their heads, Merlin saw his opportunity.

He jolted forward and rammed into the brute with all the strength he had. They hit the ground and, and much to his relief, the dagger bounced out of reach. Merlin jarred, but landed on top, pinning him down with the sheer, sudden force of his tackle and without hesitation, he took the first swing, driving all the weight of his right side through his knotted fist and into the man's nose. There was a wet crunch and the man hollered. He struck a second time, but that was all he could get in. He had surprised the man but that was the only advantage he had had. Merlin was tall, but thin and as far as weight and brute strength went, the outlaw had him.

With an animalistic grunt he pushed back with his vein-convulsed arms and Merlin found himself being rolled away against his will. He panicked for a moment, jumping backwards onto his knees, but he wasn't quick enough. A knee came up under his chin causing him to bite down. The taste of blood exploded upon his tongue. It was then followed by a crushing blow to the face which sent him reeling into a world of dancing stars. His consciousness fluttered as his back hit the ground and as he gazed up into the vaulted night sky, he couldn't help but wonder if he had made a mistake. He knew that he needed to get up. If only the world would stop spinning.

"He got you good," snickered the rock-toting outlaw.

"Shut up!" The brute's face was awash in blood that streamed from his broken nose. He felt tenderly at his face and winced. "Skinny Bastard."

"What do you want to do with her, boss?" asked one of them.

"Tie her up or something. I need to stop the blood."

"You want me to finish him off?"

The brute growled in his direction. "Just tie him up quick. I want to do it myself."

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she looked down at the nearly unconscious boy. The big brute hadn't held back one bit of his strength. The boy looked so broken, so absent. He looked like he was a part of the ground. A single tear escaped her. He had tried to save her. He didn't even know her and he had tried to save her. And now they were going to kill him.

They bound her hands and feet and tossed her onto the ground. They did the same to Merlin and then clotted around their brutish leader to attend to his nose and make plans. She inched towards the boy.

"Can you hear me?" she whispered into his ear. He winced a bit and emitted a low groan.

"Yeah," he finally answered.

"What's your name?"

He seemed confused by the question at first, but he finally answered in a voice so soft and breathy she could barely hear it. "Merlin."

"Martin?"

He struggled to raise his voice. "Merlin."

"Merlin?" She asked. He didn't correct her. There was something oddly familiar about that name. "Thank you, Merlin."

He gave no reply, but she was sure he had heard her. She remained next to him, trying to fight the panic in her throat. Did he know that they were going to kill him? He must be aware of it. Right? Looking down at his bruising face, the girl had to wonder. Maybe it was best that he was so out of it.

"What's your name?" he mumbled.

"It's Sana." A sudden idea made her stomach jump. She glanced over at the outlaws. They weren't paying any attention. "Roll over. Quick!" she hissed. "I can bite your bindings off."

"No."

"No! What do you mean 'no'! Roll over!"

"I can't. . . Even if I were free. . . I couldn't run."

"I'll help you run! Roll over!"

A loathsome, oily voice made her words catch in her throat. "What are you two going on about?" The brutish one had turned around. The bleeding had been stopped, but his nose was ruined and he didn't look too happy about it. He drew his dagger. Sana instinctively gripped Merlin's wrist. His head lolled.

"You broke my nose," he said matter-of-factly. "I think I'm going to enjoy this."

He took a step forward and raised the dagger. Sana struggled and squirmed against her bindings yelling out, "Stop!" and "Wait!", but he didn't pay any attention. He dove to his knees and gripped Merlin's hair so that his head was anchored in place, his white neck exposed. It wasn't really necessary. Merlin wasn't putting up much of a fight.

Sana's eyes widened in the panic of what was about to happen, but then something else drew her eyes, something very confusing. Behind him, she saw the three outlaws (who had been watching so dutifully) fall suddenly to the ground, one by one and in quick succession. They had no time to cry out as a bolt of silver slashed into sight.

A lone figure, that had silently wielded the sword came into sight too and saw his friend upon the ground. He bellowed out a war-cry and swung his sword. The brute turned around just in time to meet his demise. Sana squeezed her eyes shut as the fatal blow was dealt. She heard his lifeless form slump into the crackling pebbles and she knew it was over.

"Merlin!" Arthur bent down, slapping his friend's face. "Merlin! Are you awake?"

"Yes," he croaked.

"Oh, for the love of-what the hell were you thinking? Charging into the woods like that!" Arthur worked to unbind Merlin's hands and feet. "Your face!"

"I told you I heard something."

Arthur hadn't noticed the girl at first. "Are you hurt at all?"

"No, I-Your friend here, he needs help."

"Tell me about it," Arthur teased in a nervous attempt to lighten the mood. Merlin gave a small laugh and then groaned in pain. "We need to get back to Camelot."

"Hunting."

"Screw hunting. You need to see Gaius." Then he turned to the girl and, working to unbind her hand and feet, said, "You should come with us."

"I desperately need to get to Camelot," She said breathily. "I need to see the king."

"What?" Arthur halted. "I'm Prince Arthur. What is it that you need?"

Her mouth dropped open a bit as she gazed up at him in surprise. _Prince Arthur. . .The sorceress, Morgana, said. . .This is Prince Arthur. _Then her mind turned to the boy who lay, still dazed, upon the ground. _Merlin. . .That's why it was familiar. This is Arthur's manservant. . .Oh my god! I'm so stupid! I told him my real name!_ She glanced down at Merlin, wondering if he was even going to remember any of this the next day. He certainly looked loopy enough to forget.

"M-my name," she stammered, her heart hammering. "Is Lady Lenore. My whole family is. . .dead. I. . ." She didn't know what else to say. Her story was drying up right under the shocked gaze of the prince.

"My god," he gasped. "What's your family name?"

"Caradoc. Here, my family emblem." Her voice was numb from shock as she pulled the emblem that Agravaine had fashioned her from the folds of her tattered rags. Tears leaked from her eyes.

He examined it quickly and gave it back to her. "What happened?"

"I can't-I don't. . ." she began, but was cut off by a groan of pain. Merlin wasn't looking so good.

"I'm sorry," said Arthur, truly apologetic. "I'm sure it's painful to recall. You need your rest after such a trauma. We should get you and Merlin back to Camelot. My father will see you when you have recovered."

She nodded, relieved.

"Are you able to stand?" She rose shakily to her feet and gave a small, yet determined nod. "Good." Then he turned to Merlin. "I'm going to lift you up now, alright?"

Merlin nodded slightly and Arthur scooped him up, staggering under his weight. Under the bruises, Merlin's face went pink with embarrassment. Arthur was cradling him like a baby. Oh, the humiliation! He wasn't going live this one down.

"Can't you at least put me over your shoulders like we're in a battle or something?" Merlin mumbled, his whole world spinning out of control. Arthur had started walking and Lady Lenore was at his side.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Merlin." Then he added, "And my back is sore."

Lenore gave a small, tentative smile, then stopped herself.

The way back through the woods took far longer than Arthur had thought it would. Carrying Merlin sapped his strength quickly and he could tell that the girl was about ready to fall over from exhaustion. Somewhere, in the middle of that long hike, Merlin fell into a deep sleep. Both Arthur and Lenore envied him. Finally, they found the trail again and Arthur was elated to find that his horse had loyally lain down under a tree to wait. _Much better than Merlin's horse_, mused Arthur. The sky was pearl grey in the east. Night was nearly over.

A problem instantly became apparent. There was no way three people could ride one horse. He couldn't take Merlin and leave the girl alone in the (still) dark woods. And he obviously couldn't take the girl and leave Merlin behind. He needed to get to the knights. They had the horse and they were still waiting for him. They were undoubtedly worried by now.

Lenore saw his dilemma. "Go. I can stay with him."

"I will need to collect my knights. They have the horses, but they are about an hour down the trail."

"We'll be fine. It's nearly morning."

He lowered Merlin and propped him up against a tree. "I don't see any way around it."

"We'll be fine," she said again. "I'm sure I could scare off an animal if I needed to and as far as outlaws go, I won't be caught off guard twice in one night."

He looked at her curiously. "My lady, if I may say, I'm impressed. After such traumas of losing so many loved ones and then being attacked by outlaws, most people would be shaken into. . .ineffectiveness. You are very bold."

Sana panicked. _Bold? Bold! I didn't mean it! I'm too rough to pull this off! _Then she remembered that she wasn't supposed to be Sana. She was supposed to be Lenore. Lenore found a shy smile and then waved him away. He seemed to truly hate leaving them, but he did. His horse tore off down the trail and he was gone in an instant.

Lenore sat next to Merlin for what seemed like an eternity, watching the woods turn lighter and lighter. She still couldn't wrap her head around the events that had transpired that night. Why, only a few days ago she was sitting at home, living a subdued life with her father and her brother. She tried to turn her thoughts away from them. It was too painful to remember. _But I do wonder if they are looking for me now, even after what happened. . . It's best if they didn't. _Merlin stirred, shaking her out of her thoughts.

"Where's Arthur?" he asked weakly.

"He went to get the knights. Then we're going to Camelot."

"I'm thirsty."

"Me too."

The silence stretched on. Merlin's throat felt like a desert. His stomach growled as well. He was miserable. His face throbbed and he could feel the skin around his eye puckering into a black eye.

"Why did you say your name was Lenore?"

"Because it's my name," she said slowly.

"No, you told me it was Sana," he deliberated. His head still felt like it was rolling in invisible waves, but he was more aware now than he was before.

"When did I say that?"

"Oh." He instantly felt embarrassed. "I suppose I was kind of out of it."

"Yeah," she agreed. "Merlin. . . Thank you though. Really. I don't know what would have happened-well, I have some idea of what would have happened to me. You came charging out of the woods like that. . ." She chuckled, shaking her head from side to side.

"Those men were asking for it."

"Those men were dirt," she muttered, suddenly sober. "Why did you do it? I don't even know you. Why would you risk your life for me?"

"I think you understand why."

"Oh?"

"You would have done the same."

She was taken aback. "How would you know. Maybe I'm a big coward." Then she wondered if he was still a little out of it. It was such an odd thing for him to say. What man expected a woman to come to his rescue? She knew in her heart that he was right, of course, but he still confused her. No man she had ever met would say such a thing. They would feel emasculated by it, but this boy was different. There was something so sincere about him. He could stare right through her even with a black eye. A new, bewildering feeling sprouted up within her, but she pushed it back without acknowledging its existence. All that surfaced was a gut instinct. She knew from the moment he looked at her, right into her, that she was in trouble.

Arthur sprung into the clearing, causing the four knights to jump up in unison. "Get your horses," he commanded quickly and then let out a laugh.

Percival had held up his bed mat and it was sopping wet. He looked very confused, even more than normal. "Why were our things floating down the river?"

Arthur curbed his laughter with much effort, but couldn't fight down a smile at the dumfounded expression that Percival wore. But with one thought of Merlin and Lady Lenore, his smile disappeared as well.

"Arthur, what's wrong?" Gwaine asked.

"Merlin was injured. It's a long story, one that I can tell you on the trail, but right now we need to go."

"What?" The knights stood shocked.

"We need to go,_ now_."

"Right, right, right," they all muttered, bumping in to each other as they scurried to pack. Arthur aided them and they finished quickly, mounted their horses and took off down the trail, during which time Arthur told them of the events that had transpired. The time passed quickly as they listened, shocked at Merlin's actions. "I wouldn't have thought." Arthur said, mostly to himself and the knights jumped to agree.

Only Gwaine stood alone. "I'm not surprised," he remarked.

"You're not?"

"No, Arthur, but I am surprised that you were surprised. He is your manservant after all."

"But it's Merlin."Gwaine gave in with a shrug.

They road into the morning and just as the sun was peaking above the tree line they reached Merlin and the Lady, Lenore, who sagged wearily against the old tree. She had succumbed to her exhaustion. The knights watched on as Arthur dismounted and leaned down to shake her shoulders, careful to do it as gently as possible.

She woke with a start, shirking back into the tree with a scowl which quickly disappeared and was replaced with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I thought you were. . . somebody else."

This was the first time that Arthur could see her face, now that the sun was up. She had large eyes that glinted cautiously with a knowingness that he didn't quite understand. Her nose lay close to her face, overshadowing her enticing lips, lips that reached out almost as far. It gave her face a bit of a slope that was both pretty and unique. But she was filthy, right down to the dirt under her nails; her clothing was far beyond the help of a needle and thread, her hair was stringy with grease, and her lovely face was covered in dirt and, where there wasn't dirt, bruises.

"You have been through much," he finally said. "We should get back to Camelot, get you and Merlin to Gaius." He helped her stand and led her to Gwaine, who pulled her up onto his horse. She shifted uncomfortably as she tried to fit in behind him and pushed her arms around his torso. He turned his head and gave her a friendly smile. She returned it.

"Alright, Merlin, it's your turn."

Merlin shifted without opening his eyes. "Arthur?"

"No, it's the king of Camelot," he retorted as he began to lift him.

"No, I think I can walk."

"I don't think so, Merlin." But Merlin had already pushed himself to his knees. Arthur resigned and helped him pull himself up.

"I got you," he reassured. Getting Merlin to stand was the easy part. Helping him walk was much more difficult and getting him onto the horse was nearly impossible. Both Elyan and Leon had to jump down to help and even then, it took a good five minutes before he was sitting straight enough to keep from falling off the unmoving horse. Arthur climbed on behind him and gripped the reins with his arms around Merlin to keep him from falling off or jarring too much. With that finally done, they set out for Camelot.

The long, tedious ride gave Sana all the time in the world to let her mind wander away from the outlaws, yet she found no solace in her mind._ This is the person who hunts Morgana like a dog, who will take over in his father's war on magic._ _Oh, why did he have to treat me so kindly. _

OOFTA! So sorry that took so long. But it is a pretty long chapter. So anyways, I'm a bit nervous about how this fic will be accepted (or rejected). I didn't want to get too wordy, but it got wordy. Please tell me if it works. And _especially_, tell me what you thought about the fight with the outlaws (Them no-gooders)! I love writing actiony scenes, but I think dialogue is my favorite because it tells you, no, shows you who a character is and how they interact with different people. So please **REVIEW**. I really want to get better. Honestly, be as critical as you want. I've got ideas for where I want to take the story, but I'm defiantly open to ideas. You just got to **REVIEW**.


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